Ball game



April 6, .1948. 1'. J. BEIRNING ET AL- 3,

BALL GAME Filed Aug. 20, 1945 5 iif? INVENTO l2 THEODORE J. 552mm;

MELVIN P. HOOVER 115. 6 J15. 7 MM lg/MM ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 6, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BALL GAME Theodore J. Berning, Dayton, and Melvin 'P.

Hoover, Lewisburg, Ohio Application August 20, 1945, Serial No. 611,550 4 Claims. (01. 273 -123) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in household games and has for its object the provision of a game that may be played in living rooms, parlors or even in the sick room.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide entertainment for children and adults by providing a thrilling indoor game which call for alertness and skill on the part of the players.

It is a particular object of this invention to provide a game in which balls are located in pockets having difierent values and in which the score of the game is determined by the ball being located in proper holes to build up a definite fixed score, If in shooting a ball, the score is past 500, which is the winning score, the player is penalized by substracting from his score the number connected with the hole in which he located the ball.

These and other features of the game will appear from the following description taken i connection with the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the game board showing the containing box in section.

Figure 2 is a section on line longitudinally of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows a ball and the cue applied thereto for shooting the ball toward the desired hole.

Figure 4 shows the cue used for propelling the ball.

Figure 5 is a section of the cue showing a fiat surface thereof to engage the ball for propelling the ball.

Figure 6 shows the ball.

Figure 7 shows the ball and a groove therein in which the cue is located for shooting the ball.

The supporting structure of the game consists of a box which has a bottom I, two side walls 2, and an end 3. This box structure has only one end. For the purpose of enclosing the box, there is provided a lid 4, which has side walls 5, that fit over the side Walls 2 of the box, and a wall 6. One end wall 6 engages the end wall 3 of the main body of the box, while the other end wall 6 provides an enclosure for the open end of the box.

In the box is an inclined runway 1 which rests at one end on the bottom I of the box with its other end supported in an elevated position by the end 3 of the box. On the inclined runway 1, adjacent the upper end of the inclined runway l, is an arcuate wall 8 adapted to limit the upward movements of the ball.

In the inclined runway is a plurality of holes or pockets 9. In the present illustration there 2 are seven of these holes. Across each hole or pocket is a metal bar lil supported on the inclined runway by means of rivets H, These metal bars are arranged across the holes so that the player can direct the ball l2 from the lower end of the inclined runway toward the hole, so that the ball will drop into the hole with the bar in a groove l3 in the ball. This groove I3 is circular in shape and divides the ball into two semi-spherical parts connected by a stem 14. For the purpose of directing and propelling the ball, a cue I5 is used in the manner shown in Figure 3. By pulling the cue backward.

it will roll off the stem and cause the ball to advance in a forward direction toward the desired hole or pocket in the inclined runway. The surface l6 of the cue I5 is flat to engage the stem M of the ball.

The object of this game is to build up a score to 500 and no more. The ball is placed on the lower end of the inclined runway 1 with the groove therein in the direction of the metal bar across the hole in which he wishes to place the ball. Each hole or pocket has adjacent thereto a number, indicated by the numeral l1, to indicate its value. If the ball is placed in the hole valued at 50, this 50 is the score at that time. On the next shot of the ball, the player picks out the hole or pocket in which he wishes to place the ball and locates the ball in position so that he can roll the ball to this hole or pocket with the metal bar thereof in the groove I3 of the ball.

Plays are repeated until the player has built up a score of 475, for example. At this point the player needs 25 points to make a game. The object then is to shoot the ball in a hole or pocket valued at 25. If the player shoots the ball in the hole or pocket valued at 25, he has a score of 500 and game; however, if instead of shooting the ball into a hole valued at 25, he shoots it into one valued at 100, he is penalized so that instead of having 475, he has 475 less 100 or 375. Thereafter his effort is to build the score up to exactly 500.

What we claim is:

1. In a game board, a board having therein a' plurality of pockets and each pocket having extending across it a narrow strip of material dividing the pocket into two to be rolled over said board and into any of said pockets, said ball having therein a groove to receive said strip.

2. In a game board, a runway having therein a plurality of pockets, a ball adapted to be rolled over said runway and deposited in any one of said parts, and a ball adapted pockets, and means on the ball and the board to cause the ball to rest in any fixed determined diametrical position with relation to the board.

3. In a game board, a rectangular shaped box having therein a runway, said runway having therein a plurality of pockets, a bar arranged across each pocket, and a ball adapted to be rolled over said runway and to rest in any one of said pockets and means on the ball cooperating with V the bar to give the ball a fixed diametrical position with relation to the pocket. 7

4. In a game board, a runway, a ball adapted to be rolled over said runway, said ball having I therein an annular groove an means on the board to engage the ball in said grooveand' to stoprand hold the ball in any one of the plurality of positions on the board.

THEODORE J. BERNING. MELVIN P, HOOVER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

